


Makoto's Book Club

by schwaampy



Category: Persona 5
Genre: F/M, High School, Humor, Light spoilers for Never Let Me Go, My First Work in This Fandom, Romance, shumako
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-16
Updated: 2019-09-16
Packaged: 2020-10-19 22:07:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20664557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/schwaampy/pseuds/schwaampy
Summary: Captivated by an award-winning novel but having no one to share her feelings with, Makoto dreams of starting a Phantom Thieves book club. Her boyfriend, Ren, reluctantly agrees to her proposal. The pair try to recruit the remaining thieves into their group, while also trying to keep their relationship a secret from their friends.





	Makoto's Book Club

“So I’ve been reading this book recently...”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah!”

“Sweet.”

A short pause.

“Well, what’s it about?”

“I’m so glad you asked,” said Makoto, her voice carrying a sincere excitement. She knew Ren and reading weren’t the ideal pair, but she appreciated his attention. “It’s called Never Let Me Go. The author won the Nobel Prize last year, actually; he’s a genius with words, a one of a kind author, someone I’d love to meet and just... prod his mind. Talk with him over tea, discuss big ideas like humanity and justice and life and love... In fact, it got me thinking...”

Ren scratched his head.

“Tell me more.”

_That could mean literally anything. _

Ren imagined the possibilities of his impeccably unpredictable girlfriend. As their team’s advisor, she was always one step ahead of everyone else, thinking up plans of action before they even engaged in combat. It was her specialty to keep him on his toes. When they first matched eyes, one week after he had appointed Makoto as his team’s second-in-command, he questioned the whims of fate that brought her exceedingly capable skills onto his team. Without her, he wondered if they would’ve been able to make it this far.

Makoto was their advisor for many reasons: she was intelligent, quick on her feet, and had a penchant for imagining ingenious plans, some of which ended up saving Ren’s life. Unknown to the rest of the team, though, Ren and Makoto had also been dating for two months, a secret they kept to ensure they both prioritized their team’s mission, without being troubled by rumors or gossip around the school. One time, Ann caught Makoto wearing Ren’s Shujin uniform jacket after school. That was the closest their secret got to being exposed. After that incident, the pair became more vigilant and spent their time together more carefully. Every day spent together they watched their surroundings, so as not to bump into anyone from school.

Every day they spent together, Ren learned something new and fascinating: Makoto’s deep interest in strategy games, her intensely competitive spirit, and her tendency to doubt the sincerity of his gestures of kindness. He knew so much about her now, so much more than he ever did, when they were briefly just rivals and then friends, and he loved her more for every new nugget of knowledge he discovered about her. From every moment spent in each other’s arms, every date to Destinyland or Jimbocho, every time Makoto worried about his safety on the ferris wheel or on the train, with how many accidents had been happening recently, he learned something new and exciting. The first time he forgot to text Makoto that he had safely made it home from her place, Ren received a voicemail of her crying that he died. Of course, he thought it was adorable and loved her more for it. Despite his disinterest in reading, if Makoto’s life was a book, Ren would have read the whole text by now, at least twice, with annotations and sticky notes covering the pages. He loved her enough that he was willing to make compromises.

And yet, with all his experience and love and familiarity, Ren could sense this conversation heading in a surprising, unpleasant direction. Maybe it was how she introduced the topic, but Ren couldn’t resist the uneasy feeling building up inside him, as if he was seconds away from stomaching some terrible poison.

_What did she say again? Something about a book?_

The pair sat side by side on the futon in Leblanc’s attic, hands separated but slowly gravitating towards each other. Makoto turned to Ren as a smile formed on her face, an expression that he had no difficulty discerning.

“...Why don’t we start....”

_Start?_ he thought. _This can't be good. _

“...a Phantom Thieves book club?!” Makoto belted out, bristling with enthusiasm. Her hands shook as she spoke. “It’d clearly benefit us in the Metaverse to be more well-read, as it would surely boost our mental acumen. And think about it: we can each take turns picking a book for everyone to read, and we can gather on the weekend at Leblanc to discuss how we feel about our reading experiences. We can even use a talking stick so we don’t shout over each other, just like during student council meetings, and we can try to meet at least once a week, so long as we’re not in the middle of a heist, of course. If you couldn’t tell, I already have tons of ideas!”

Makoto noticed her anticipation getting the better of her. Her jaw clenched, just as it did when she talked about yakuza movies. Composing herself momentarily, Makoto let go of her novel and looked at Ren, in whose eyes she caught a temporary glimpse of confusion and thus a sharp blow to her confidence.

The previous night, Makoto had stayed awake past her usual bedtime to finish reading Never Let Me Go. She reached the final line much later than expected, but it resonated with her so much that she tossed and turned at night thinking about it. “_Wherever it was I was supposed to be_,” she thought. _Where am I supposed to be?_ Imagining herself among her friends and teammates, Makoto’s mind found a quick and satisfying answer, but still she fixated on the book’s ending, its ambiguity and the fate of each of the characters. More than anything, Makoto needed to share her interpretations with another person, the same way a great and powerful film lingers with you until you expel all of your thoughts onto someone else, a necessary kind of cathartic release. _I doubt any of my teammates have read this book before... But I bet they would all love it just as much as I did. _

Makoto briefly caught herself yawning, which Ren didn’t seem to notice. _Am I really this tired?_

“Do you... like it?” Makoto said, taking time to carefully articulate her words. Having sensed Ren’s confusion, she expected an unsatisfactory answer.

“I...”

But nothing else came out.

“Hrmmph... You think it’s weird, don’t you?” Makoto frowned, looking down at the ground and crossing her arms in shame. She stared at the cover of her book and felt guilty for proposing the idea in the first place. If it wasn’t for her wandering mind last night, none of this would’ve had to happen. “Was the talking stick too much? I know no one reads books for fun anymore, let alone their required reading for school. I really should’ve known better...”

Seeing his girlfriend’s enthusiasm turn so quickly into disappointment, Ren’s silence disappeared. It’s not that he didn’t like reading; he just preferred having free time to explore Tokyo and meet up with friends, and he didn’t want to give up on that. He thought of Iwai and Ohya, who he would visit on the weekends, and whether he would have the chance to see them again. Regardless, he felt the urgency of the situation and sprung into action.

“No, no, I think that’s a great idea, Makoto. I love it. I really do. I’ve been checking out books from Shujin’s library, and I think reading is an underrated hobby, for sure,” he said, as he put his arm around her shoulders in a reassuring hug. “We’ll at least be able to get Yusuke on board. Let’s try it.”

As Makoto’s face curled into a reluctant smile, Ren tried to grapple with the reality of what he had just agreed to, the compromise that he had made. _What am I doing? Do I really want to give up my weekends to this? _

“OK, I’m so glad to have you on my side!”

* * *

“Reading is... How should I say it?” Yusuke said, his gaze peering off into the distance and away from the two teammates standing in front of him. He took a few more seconds to consider his next words. “It is a... secondary hobby. My passion lies in the art of creating lasting images that capture the depths of human emotion, portrayed on a canvas for the world to observe and absorb. And if I were to divert my attention from painting, I would only be distracting from my true calling. I cannot abide distractions, as well-intentioned as they may be. I... hope you understand. I do not mean to sound rude.”

They had gathered at Yusuke’s dormitory in Kosei High, just the three of them. Ren tried to recall a time when this specific combination of thieves had hung out together, and he couldn’t find a spot in his memory. He was always conscious of the novelty of each situation, as everything about living in Tokyo was still new to him. But in this moment, with Makoto and Ren visiting Yusuke without the rest of the team, suspicions would naturally arise. _What if Yusuke finds out about our relationship? I’ll have to be careful... _

Meanwhile, Makoto noticed art books, pamphlets, and textbooks atop Yusuke’s nightstand, and an ornate tapestry hung from his side of the room's wall with a snapshot of the moon gleaming above a dusty sky, captured in black and white. What a beautiful view, she thought. It reminded her of the novel she finished the night before.

“But Yusuke, isn’t it better to be more well-rounded instead of focusing on just one hobby?” Makoto said. “You can read while still painting in your spare time. Think of it as a... team-building exercise! Ren and I were really hoping it would bolster our chemistry in the Metaverse.”

Yusuke stared blankly at her.

“Makoto, I think you are a bit mistaken. Painting is not just some _hobby_ of mine. It is my livelihood, it is my purpose for being, it is my late mother’s gift. Painting is how I process my range of emotions, painting is how I acknowledge my turbulent past, painting is-”

“I read from time to time while still playing video games, taking care of Mona, and training,” lied Ren, noticing the tension in the air. “It shouldn’t be hard to find time to do both. It can be really rewarding to find time to read, even every other day. And the more people we get involved, the more it will help grow our team’s camaraderie so we don’t have any more... I guess, misunderstandings about each other.”

Ren knew there was risk in interrupting their argument, but he hoped that he came off as reasonable enough. He much preferred the silent approach, letting others handle the talking while he just listened, so this felt a bit unnatural already.

“Yes, yes... I suppose reading can be fit in from time to time without coming at the expense of my painting,” relented Yusuke, a bit begrudgingly. “And if we grow as teammates, these misunderstandings will be fewer and fewer.”

“I... apologize for being inconsiderate to you, Yusuke. I shouldn’t have discredited the impact of painting on your life,” said Makoto.

Abating the need to apologize again, Makoto covered her mouth and coughed. She recognized the importance of her friends and couldn’t imagine upsetting them, even unintentionally.

Makoto put her hand on Ren’s back, and slowly dropped it down to his free hand. She could sense the conversation headed in a positive direction, and she had Ren to thank. Makoto wasn’t the best when it came to navigating social situations, and she appreciated Ren’s charm in moments like these.

Yusuke turned to Ren, his eyes squinting ever so slightly, his face betraying a look of entrapment and concern, as if to say, _You’re really choosing her over me?_ He sensed some kind of special relationship building between Ren and Makoto, something more than just friends, more than teammates.

“You said you asked Ren to join first, isn’t that right?”

Makoto pushed her hair from her face.

“Yes, he is our leader after all. I wanted to run it by him first.”

“And then you came to visit me together afterwards? Just the two of you?”

_He’s catching on. I blew our cover. _

“Yes...,” waited Makoto. “We decided not to call a team meeting over it.” Ren wondered if Makoto realized what he was realizing, but as his mind moved frantically, he saw Yusuke staring at him with confusion in his eyes. Ren returned a look of silent understanding. Yusuke’s excuses had really run dry, nothing remaining for him to say to remove himself from this agreement.

That is, except for one excuse.

“Well...”

Yusuke noticed Ren’s hands enter his pockets. Coins jingled to and fro, ever so slightly, as Ren rested his hands back on his legs. Yusuke recognized Ren’s movement and acted accordingly.

“What is it, Yusuke?” Makoto said, her ears perking up. “Do you have an idea for a book to get us started with? I have some ideas already, in fact I’ve had some ideas for awhile now, including some classics that we’d really enjoy discussing, but I’m fine with letting someone else choose to go first if they-”

“There’s another problem I haven’t mentioned yet,” he interrupted.

“We will help with whatever you need.”

Ren decided it was best to keep quiet. He didn’t want to betray his friend, and he didn’t want to lend more evidence of their relationship by supporting Makoto. _I’ll just let them handle the rest of this. _

“Well, as you may well know, I am a bit on the poor side of things. I lack the... funds... to acquire new books or travel regularly. I spent my last yen on train fare for our last trip into Mementos...and now I am penniless, hopeless, and destitute. Without any money, I am afraid I am just a burden on our book club, and I would hate for that to be the case.”

“Oh no, Yusuke...” said Makoto, shaking her head. She felt at a loss. For a second or two, she considered throwing Yusuke whatever money she had on her, just to validate her feelings. Her mind wandered inside her wallet. But she decided against it. She didn’t want to sound too desperate, and the Phantom Thieves book club didn’t need everyone in it, she rationalized. Yusuke had plenty of excuses, which clearly meant he wasn’t too interested. _It’d be best not to push him any more on this. Perhaps Haru will be more likely to join?_ she thought.

“Well, do not worry too much about my plight. I have already picked up a part time job to help remedy this situation. It will be difficult to schedule around me, so you may want to ask the others,” said Yusuke.

* * *

“Haru!” Makoto yelled, her voice cracking a bit under the anticipation and pressure of the situation. For her own sanity, she needed this to work out, while Ren also felt pressured, as he didn’t want to be the only other member of this book club. “Haru, how are you? How is your schoolwork? How is your garden? Tell me everything. We are here for you, you know that, right?”

“Oh, hi Makoto!” said Haru. From behind Makoto, Ren poked his head out and waved. He then hid behind her back again. “And Ren, too! Nice to see both of you. What are you doing together?”

“Oh, umm...”

Makoto turned behind to Ren. _Maybe we should've thought of this after what happened with Yusuke?_

“W-we just happened to bump into each other after school, and figured we’d say hello, isn’t that right?” he said.

“Yes!” shouted Makoto. “Yes, definitely!”

_Close one. _

Haru, in all her sweetness, didn’t seem to suspect anything.

“That’s so sweet of you to think of me!” said Haru. “Thank you so much!”

Ren was reminded of when he and Makoto confronted Haru during Mona’s temporary hiatus. This wasn’t the first time the three of them were around together, so Haru wouldn’t ask any of Yusuke’s probing questions.

Makoto approached Haru slowly and knelt beside her. Ren stood by the doorway with his hands in his pockets, letting his girlfriend handle the conversation this time. Guilt overcame him for ruining their last encounter, and he resolved to let Makoto take the lead.

“Tell me, Haru, how are you?” said Makoto, leaning in close.

Makoto took her motherly role within the team seriously; though she had struggles of her own, whenever she heard of her friends’ frustrations, they became hers as well, and she resolved to fix them. Considering Haru was also a third-year student at Shujin, her and Makoto’s worries often overlapped.

“I’ve been... wonderful! ...Fantastic!” said Haru, wiping sweat from her brow and putting down her watering can. “Though, I guess, maybe not... I’ve really been stressed lately, to tell the truth. Life has really been tough...”

“What is it?” Makoto could sense the sincerity of her friend’s worries. “Is it your third-year exams coming up? I’d love to study together if you need help. I promise to really drill it into you, so prepare yourself.”

Ren shuffled in place, his black and red Shujin jacket covering his head and chest. _She’s a bit... heavy-handed with the innuendos sometimes... _Makoto wore the same uniform as him, but with a skirt instead of pants. They matched without planning it. _That must’ve been what Yusuke noticed before..._

“That’s so... sweet of you. Well, it’s not just the exams I’ve been worried about. There’s also taking care of father’s business; I’ve had a lot of responsibilities thrown on me. His advisors continue to want more and more power over decision making, and I have school to worry about, and my garden, and my role within the Phantom Thieves....” Haru wiped her forehead again, then released a short breath. “D-don’t think I regret joining you all! It’s just... you know... a lot of work to keep up with. That’s all it is, really.”

_ Oh no, Haru..._ thought Ren. _If not you, then who?_

Ren looked out over the Shujin Academy rooftop, the same place Makoto once told the thieves to abandon months prior. Ren recalled that distant memory every time he visited since, as it was one of the first times he realized how much power Makoto had over the school, thanks to her position within student council. He understood then that Shujin was her domain, and they were no longer safe at school. When she eventually joined their team, her power became theirs. Meanwhile, Haru worked tirelessly on her garden without worrying about being kicked out for conducting secret vigilante meetings. Haru was deeply thankful for her little slice of heaven above the school. It brought her peace when nothing else did.

The occasion did not occur to Makoto the same way it did to Ren. She had a tendency to forget, or at the very least repress, unpleasant memories. She deeply regretted those days, with the benefit of hindsight. Her blind allegiance to Shujin’s principal plagued her once-pleasant feelings toward school. Having spent so much time doing the bidding of an adult with corrupt intentions made Makoto sick. Instead of thinking of him, Makoto thought of the view of the city, the book club to be, and her sympathy for Haru. Her mind preoccupied itself with positive thoughts.

“Haru, I am so, so sorry for you. You don’t deserve all these troubles. Is there anything we can do to help?”

Haru’s face lit up.

“Mako-chan, just hearing you say that makes me feel so much better! You’re always here for us, understanding our needs and worries, taking our concerns to heart... I don’t think you can help me right now, but... is there anything I can do to help you? You seem a bit bothered recently, too, and... maybe I could lend a hand?”

Ren watched Makoto’s eyes brighten a deep red, sparkling with anticipation, like a child entering a toy store with an unlimited budget and no parents or adults around to judge her decisions. Makoto knew this was the perfect chance. Ren wanted to run over and shake her free from whatever stupor she had entered, but before he could budge an inch, Makoto spoke.

“Well, there is one thing I might need some help with...” she said, with a bit of fake indifference in her tone. “Though, I’m not sure if I should really be bothering you with it right now. Is it alright?”

“Whatever it is, I’ll do my best! Anything for you, Mako-chan!”

“...Well, alright, I mean, if you insist on helping out...”

“I do!”

“OK... Would you, umm, consider joining a phantom thieves book club?”

Silence. The most awkward of pauses.

_This is the worst_, thought Ren. _Haru..._

“Oh...”

* * *

“Ann! Hey, Ann!” shouted Makoto, as Ann walked down the staircase by the gym, headphones in. Listening to music and forgetting about everyone else around her was Ann’s usual after-school routine, to drown out all the noise and commotion radiating from the hallways. The last thing anyone wanted to think about after school ended was more school, unless of course your name was Makoto Niijima.

Today, however, Makoto wanted to be home already, laying in bed and away from the world, head submerged in her pillow. To read the last few pages of her book again, or to start something new. Facing rejection from both Haru and Yusuke, she began to worry about the fate of her great idea. _At least Ren is with me... But even he didn’t seem to want to do this._ She recalled Ren’s initial indifference and the words he spoke to her. She waited for her confidence to return.

While calling for Ann from down the hallway, Makoto, for the first time in weeks, remembered that fateful afternoon when Ann realized she was wearing Ren’s jacket, how her heart dropped, how she wanted to rip the jacket off and ignite a fire on top of it. Instinctively, she checked her clothes, just to make sure she wasn’t wearing it again. She was wearing her own Shujin jacket. _Were we... matching earlier? Oh god..._ She had made the same instinctual check every time she saw Ann, without thinking. It added a hint of underlying tension to their relationship, even though they were still great friends. Keeping secrets from close friends proved harder than it initially seemed to Ren and Makoto, and every day they were tested in some new and unpredictable manner.

Ann could sense someone yelling at her from down the hall. She turned around, looked through the crowd of students, and spotted Makoto waving her hand above her head, cautiously and so as not to disrupt the people around her. The noise of the crowd prevented her from hearing whatever Makoto’s words were, but she knew it must have been about something important, as Makoto wasn’t the type of person to draw attention to herself in public. They had each other’s phone numbers, after all, and she could’ve just texted her. Of course, not during school hours, as Makoto rarely answered her phone during class.

“Ann! Just the person I was looking for. I’m so... glad to bump into you.”

“Well, we didn’t really bump into each other. You kind of flagged me down first, right? That must mean you need something from me! What’s going on, Makoto?”

Ann let out a short, friendly laugh.

“I... guess you’re right.”

Makoto looked unusually dejected, her face bearing the brunt of her disappointment, which Ann immediately picked up on. Of all of Makoto’s friends, Ann most often understood her true feelings.

“Oh, come on Makoto! I was only joking with you,” said Ann. She pushed her hair away from her eyes and assessed the situation again. It wasn’t normal for Ann to be comforting Makoto; more often than not, it was the other way around. Eager to change the subject, she remembered that Makoto had called to her first. “So, what did you need? I’m all ears.”

In Makoto’s mind, insecurity and doubt manifested at once. _If Haru, the nicest person in the world, declined to join my club, why would Ann? Why would anyone?_ She fought back the urge to tell the truth.

“I wanted to ask you something, but... I’m realizing that now might not be the best time for that,” said Makoto. “Besides, we’re both still at school. We should really be getting going...I have homework to catch up on.”

Ann reached for Makoto’s back and put her hand over it. Trusting her instincts, Ann held her hand there for a few moments before putting it down. She wished she had realized Makoto’s emotional state prior to cracking that joke from before, and she wanted to do something about her current emotional distress.

“Are you doing alright?” Ann said. “You definitely look more stressed than usual, and you’re usually pretty stressed. Is it something to do with student council? You can ask me _anything_, Makoto. We’re friends! Friends help friends out.”

“You’re right, and I am grateful that we are friends, Ann, because I know I can count on you. But right now...” Makoto stopped. She considered asking Ann what she came here to ask her about, but her doubts manifested again. “Don’t mind me. I’m just a bit lost in my thoughts. I’m having trouble thinking straight...”

“Alright, Makoto. Just...” she hesitated, with a hint of worry in her tone. “Just let me know if you change your mind, okay?”

“Of course,” said Makoto with a forced smile.

As the two walked away, Ann hurried a bit, then turned around to see where Makoto was headed. Curiosity compelled her, but mostly, she cared for Makoto’s wellbeing and needed assurance that she was alright. It was unusual for Makoto to call to her in public like that, and it was even more unusual for her to back off without asking her question.

Ann’s eyes narrowed on Makoto walking out of the front entrance and to the train station. For a quick moment, she stopped to look at her phone, and then she was gone.

* * *

Ren picked up his phone before leaving Shujin.

“Ryuji and Futaba are the only ones left,” texted Makoto. “Can you take care of asking Ryuji? You’re much closer to him than I am. I’ll... see about Futaba, but don’t get your hopes up.”

Ren had a few more unopened messages, one from Ann, one from Yusuke, another from Haru. But he couldn’t attend to those right now. Instead, he texted his closest friend, the one person he could rely on to appease his girlfriend’s insatiable, unceasing, all-consuming desire to start a book club. He had to say yes. If he didn’t, this whole plan would fall through, and he wasn’t sure if Makoto’s confidence could take another hit like that. Her last team building plan, to introduce Futaba to the group by talking about the weather and current events, didn’t go so well, either. It didn’t feel natural. They hadn’t bothered talking to Futaba yet, but Makoto seemed sure she would say no. Futaba wasn’t much of a reader, but then again, neither was Ren.

_Why am I doing this again?_ thought Ren. _Oh right... Her. _

Her brilliant mind, her charming awkwardness, her maturity and sense of responsibility, her radiant smile. There was so much to love. To think it all depended on one remaining person.

“Ryuji.”

“Yeah?”

“This is important.”

“What is it?”

“I... need your help on something.”

“Anything for you, dude!”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, no doubt.”

“You’re the best.”

“Well, so long as it doesn’t involve schoolwork, you know I’m game.”

“About that...”

“Huh?”

“It’s not schoolwork, but it is... probably still work to you.”

“Don’t tell me it’s something to do with my grades. I’m trying, man!”

“I know you are.”

“Makoto needs to get off my back on that...”

“It’s not about that. Not entirely.”

“You want me to do math for you?”

“Worse.”

“History?”

“Even worse.”

“Reading?”

“You got it.”

“Ughhhhhhhhhh.”

A pause.

“You really need me to _read_? Why?” texted Ryuji again.

Another pause.

“You’re really asking me for a lot here.”

“I know, and I’m sorry,” texted Ren.

“Why all of a sudden do you want me to read? What for?”

“It has to do with Makoto...”

Their conversation lagged again for a few seconds.

“_Of course_ it does. I should’ve known. School work and Makoto go hand in hand.”

“She wants to start a book club with the Phantom Thieves.”

“...And you’re allowing this? You’re still our leader, yknow? Not her.”

“I know, I know. I... think it’d be fun and help build our teamwork.”

“You don’t sound too convinced, man.”

“What do you mean?”

“All I’m saying is that this seems fishy. I don’t know what’s gotten into you.”

“Nothing... nothing really. I’m fine.”

“You’re still acting a little strange, Ren.”

“Let’s talk in person. It’ll make more sense then.”

“Alright, tomorrow after school. See you then.”

* * *

“Ren! Alright, I need all the details. Time for you to spill the beans!”

Ryuji stood by the staircase on the second floor of Shujin Academy, close to Ren’s homeroom, his back leaning against the wall nonchalantly. This was his typical hangout spot, and Ren knew where to find him as soon as school ended. Ryuji was his closest friend, and Ren appreciated his unique brand of brash honesty and sincerity. They were both outcasts, even as world-famous vigilantes, and their shared alienation strengthened their bond even further. Neither wanted the other to ever leave their life, as they both understood how boring and slow life would be without a special friend to grab ramen or train with.

“Here’s the thing...” started Ren.

Ryuji shook Ren’s shoulder and patted him on the back.

“You know, I always suspected you were a ladies' man, but I can’t believe you’d hide from me that you’ve got a girlfriend, dude!”

Ren’s heart collapsed into his chest. It began to thump against his skin. But time had stopped, and his next words released themselves from his mouth without thinking.

“H-how’d you find out?”

_Why did you have to say that?_

“Ah! I knew I could get you to admit it. Well, you don’t have any trouble telling people no when their ideas are too much. This was different. You pulled the classic ‘Ask your best friend for help because your girlfriend is bugging you about something’ card. It was pretty easy to spot. And then there was the thing with Ann and the jacket from awhile back. You’re not a very good truth-hider, you know that?”

Ren was taken aback. It’s not that Ryuji wasn’t smart; in fact, he’d always been more perceptive than he let on. It was his wisdom that was lacking at times.

“I never lied to you,” said Ren, feeling a bit defensive.

“I didn’t say you lied, man, relax, relax. All I’m saying is that you, the delinquent transfer student, have been dating the student council president of our school for, however long you’ve been together, and I’m fucking proud of you.”

_Oh no... Oh god... If he’s proud of me, that means he’s going to tell everyone he can. Makoto would be furious if other people found out._

Ren instinctively looked around to see if anyone heard Ryuji yelling about his relationship so loudly. Ryuji did have a tendency to reveal unpleasant secrets to the world without realizing it. Ren remembered that fateful moment when Makoto listened in on Ryuji yelling about the Phantom Thieves, and got it all on tape. He would hate to be blackmailed again over his love life, although he understood the irony involved in it.

“Ryuji, listen,” pleaded Ren.

“I’m all ears man, I want to know everything! Spill the beans! Spill it all!”

“No, no, I need you to do the opposite. I need you... I am begging you to keep quiet on this. You know how quickly rumors spread here. And if Makoto finds out that the whole school knows, she’ll know it was because I opened my mouth. I can’t risk our relationship,” said Ren, with sweat beginning to form and drip from his forehead. “Please, you have to take this seriously. Please.”

A pause fell over their conversation. Ryuji stared at the ground for a second. The silence lingered longer than Ren felt comfortable for. A corrosive self-doubt took hold of him as the silence lengthened.

“Well... your secret is safe with me. I can tell how much you care about her, and that’s heartwarming, bud. It really is. I’m just glad you’re both happy and living your best lives. I’ll do anything for you two, anything you need,” promised Ryuji. He crossed his fingers and swore on his heart. A smile grew on his face, and he raised his arms as if to give Ren a brotherly hug. They embraced, and in their embrace, Ren exhaled loudly and triumphantly. “Except join your book club.”

* * *

“I didn’t end up asking Ann... I got discouraged and left. Same with Futaba. Dare I ask how Ryuji went?”

“Ryuji said, ‘I’ll do anything for you... except join your book club.’”

Makoto pouted.

“Why did he have to be so _rude_ about it? Couldn’t he have just said no politely?” she said, arms crossed, resigned and staring at the floorboards of Leblanc. “He was the last person I felt comfortable asking...”

Ren leaned over and gave her a hug from the side. He sympathized with her struggle, even while no one else did. Though originally fueled by the desire to satisfy his girlfriend, Ren’s sympathy grew as his teammates one by one excused themselves from joining the club. More than anything, he wanted her to be happy, as her happiness reflected on his. _Did I ruin this whole plan from the beginning? _

“That’s Ryuji for you. He’s never... careful or considerate with his words.”

“Right. Oh well...”

Ren recalled when Ryuji said their relationship was heartwarming, and how their secret was “safe with me.” _Was it really?_ He simultaneously wanted to applaud his friend and yell at him again. Anxious wouldn’t even begin to describe Ren’s feelings at the moment.

“So far, we have... zero interest in a phantom thieves book club. Negative interest, actually.”

“Well...” started Ren. He raised his hand in protest.

“Except for you.”

“To be honest-”

“I knew you didn’t want to join from the start,” interrupted Makoto. “You weren’t very convincing. But I hoped that having you around would motivate the others to join. I guess that wasn’t enough.”

Once again, Ren was taken aback that one of his friends discovered one of his secrets. 

“I wasn’t very convincing?”

“You’re not a very good truth-hider, you know.”

Ren gasped.

“Ryuji said the same thing!”

A smile appeared on Makoto’s dimly lit and previously cold face.

“I guess you could say we think alike... sometimes. Or every once in a blue moon. However the phrase goes. I don’t know any more...”

As Ren chuckled, he put his hands around her body and squeezed ever so gently above her waist. He knew this spot well. Right where she was the most ticklish.

“Oh, come on, s-stop, what’s this f-for?” she said, pretending to sound angry while barely getting each word out. Ren loved to watch her squirm around and laugh at the same time, especially because of her usually tight composure. “I just meant that b-both of us are c-close to y-you, and... h-hey!”

She lightly slapped his wrist, enough for a warning without hurting him. Ren knew when to stop.

“You know I’d do anything for you, Makoto. Even if I don’t really want to.”

“That’s... very sweet of you,” she said before letting out another laugh. She was confused as to how to react. She considered returning to Ann, or asking Futaba for the first time, but she had another idea. “You know, I was also thinking... why don’t we just read together? Just the two of us. None of the others.”

“Let’s do it,” agreed Ren, replying quickly. “We won’t even need a talking stick, you know, if it’s just us two. I promise not to talk over you.”

“That’s a good point. On the bright side, it’ll be nice to not have to lead another meeting. Did you have any book ideas?”

Ren didn’t have to think of a reply. It came to him automatically.

“I’d love to read that book you mentioned the other day. The one you finished. _Never Let Me Go_, was it?”

“That’s the one.” Makoto was surprised that Ren remembered the title in full. She was especially shocked to find that he wanted to read it. She wondered what about the book piqued his interest, whether it was the cover, the author’s achievement, or something else entirely.

“Is the book... romantic? I mean, the title makes it seem that way,” said Ren. “Not that I wouldn’t read a romantic book. I’m just curious.”

“The title has a different kind of meaning to it,” said Makoto, a bit confused. “It’s not a very romantic book, if you were worried about that.”

_He liked the title that much? _

“Oh...”

Disappointment washed over Ren’s face.

“Did you have something in mind?”

“I actually had a great line planned, if the title was romantic.”

“Say it. I want to hear it anyway.”

“...Are you sure? It might come off weird.”

“Yes,” said Makoto, holding back a grin. “I think I know what it is.”

“Now you’re making me nervous...”

“Just say it.”

He took a deep breath, relaxed his face, and grabbed her in a tight hug.

“I promise I’ll never let you go.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks a bunch for reading! It really means a lot to me that you made it this far! This was my first ever fic in this fandom (and also in general). I sincerely hope you enjoyed it. I might turn this into a series if there's interest, but right now it's just a one-off.


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